She walked towards the spiral staircase towards her apartment, the summer breeze caressing her long dress and her ponytail swaying back and forth behind her head when she spotted a familiar figure leaning against the staircase on the opposite side. Her curiosity peaked when she noticed that his attention seemed to be focused on their front door, and her suspicions were confirmed as she got closer to the figure. "Maan?" she asked as she began to climb the steps. He turned around and greeted her with a warm smile, the crinkles appearing beside his eyes.
"Hey, uh Pari, right?"
She nodded. "How are you?"
"Comme ci, comme ca."
Her bewildered expression caused him to smile once more. "It means 'not good, not bad' in French. A midway point between the two extremes."
"I'll remember that one. How is the renovating coming along?"
"Almost done. Just a few finishing touches."
Pari found the keys from the front pocket of her bag and jingled them between her fingers for a few minutes. "Would you like to come in for a coffee?"
"I'd love to, but I don't think I'd be very welcome."
Her initial impressions were confirming themselves.
"What gives you that impression?"
Maan shook his head, a loose curl carelessly resting itself upon his forehead. His eyes held a wistful emotion, his smile not quite there but he managed to brush off her question and ask her if she was attending this evening. Pari nodded in affirmation, he bid her adieu and disappeared behind the door.
She realised the truth was shining behind a soiled disguise, much like a chest of treasure waiting to be unearthed.
Thus, she would have to be the one to discover it.
***
"You're home early," Geet commented as she applied a coat of clear lipgloss to her lips.
"I finished the paperwork in time. Are you going somewhere?" She observed Geet in a light blue dress reaching her knees, her hair piled into a bun and a sliver of eyeliner accentuating her features, which made her wonder if Maan had anything to do with it.
"Johan's arriving to collect the sunflower painting in half an hour, and I thought I should go with him to see the gallery of its exhibition."
Pari threw her bag to one side, leaning against the arched doorway. "You never go to the galleries. In fact, you don't go even when Johan invites you and wants to introduce you to social circles."
"It was time for a change," Geet replied, to herself in the reflection. She took a moment to allow her statement to sink into her conflicted mind, and then plastered on a passive look and faced her sister. "How do I look?"
"You look great, but aren't you going to Maan's party tonight?"
"I don't think I'll be able to make it. Go on without me, and take something as a housewarming gift - perhaps a jar of sugar or whatever takes your fancy."
As Pari watched Geet disappear into her bedroom, mumbling about looking for a pair of heels, she came to the conclusion that Geet was a better actress than anticipated.
It was time to put her sister's new found talent to the test.
***
A/N: A small snippet of the interior of Geet and Pari's apartment.
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